Ideas from Colleagues

12 YA Historical Fiction Books That Teach Diversity
                   By Ambata Kazi-Nance and Eva Jo Meyers * Parents Magazine, January 22, 2021

These books from Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and female voices offer an important and different view on history. Here's why we encourage you to read them to your middle school kids.

Early American history has mostly been written by white male authors. These counter-narratives from Black, Latino, Asian, Indigenous, and female voices offer a more relevant and accurate picture of what life was like for all Americans, and are an essential addition to the study of history for the middle grades.

Another plus? Seeing themselves reflected in the context of history is empowering for young people, and learning about each other's perspectives can encourage youth to work for a better future for all of us.

But many of these books cover difficult subject matter. As authors ourselves, we encourage you to review the content beforehand to make sure it is appropriate for your child, and to invite readers to discuss the themes of oppression, racism, and sexism that the stories reveal.

"The Adventures of The Mighty-Five: Fighting Corvin & His Creeps"

A children’s book that tells the story of 5 young children who become heroes protecting their community from Covid-19. The coronavirus is personified as an alien named Corvin, who along with his virus buddies the “Creeps,” intend to harm humans. The video version of the book includes fun activities for children that help them apply the “lessons” from the Mighty-Five in fun ways.

You can also download a PDF copy of the book so you can read it your own way. It can be accessed through this link: https://drive.google.com/uc?export=do...​

Families:
This book and suggested activities can be used to help children be “heroes” during the pandemic, and to encourage them to protect themselves and others. The goal is to nurture children’s resilience during this challenging time in fun and developmentally appropriate ways.
 

TOOLS & WEBSITES

• California After School Network Quality Assessment Tool

          Here is the Quality Assessment Tool and this is the Quality Assessment Tool Survey.

• National Afterschool Associates
   
• Temescal Associates and The How Kids Learn Foundation
   
• Region 4 Education Service Center